Wine and Vinegar. (Ruth chapter one)

Raymond Brown on Moses said the following,''Israel's leader  must have faced many a day with a heavy heart. These Biblical characters did not belong to a make- believe world where , because they loved God, everything automatically went well for them. Their experience hardly supports the optimistic euphoria of the' prosperity theology' people,with their assurance of wealth and health. The Bible is more honest. When we have, as the Puritan Richard Baxter says,'wine and vinegar in the same cup'.Well many of us while not holding to the prosperity theology teaching,need to take to heart, what Richard Baxter said,my personal life experience as a Christian would agree .Yes it is hard when painful things happen in the Christians life, after all the Christian reads the Psalms, and the wonderful promises there,yet the man who wrote most of those Psalms experienced a great deal of trouble in his life.Right throughout  the Bible we read of godly people yes experiencing blessing.but I think of Naomi a godly lady,whose husband ,and two sons died,and who was left destitute,They  had  gone to the land of Moab,to escape a famine in their own country,but then she and her daughter -in-law returned to Israel.When she returned her neighbours said,''Can this be Naomi?'',Her reply was this ,''don't call me Naomi which means pleasant,call me Mara'', which means bitter. Yes Richard Baxter was so right in what he said,that the Christian life is a wine and vinegar experience.

Atonement. ( Psalm 103 )

I see in modern translations the word atonement is changed to reconciliation ,which is fair enough,for it has that meaning to it.We must realise that as we are born we have a fallen nature,which leads to sin,that makes us enemies to God,( Romans 5 v 10),this means everyone ,yes everyone.for everyone without exception has sinned and come short of the glory of God.  (Romans 3 v 23 ).God loves us all without exception ,but sin separates us from Him,so He worked it out,He would send Jesus who would die an atoning death that we may be reconciled ,to Him.( Romans 5 v 11). His death was an atoning death,through which the enmity could be removed,the result sin is forgiven. It is Raymond Brown who point out that the term atonement means to 'wipe off'.In other words when we embrace Christ as our Saviour,our sins are wiped off,R B,writes that the offence ,that is our sin, is decisively wiped away from the mind of God. There is no record of our sinned, in Jeremiah 31 v 34, we read,' For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sin no more'.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Gone,gone,gone,gone,                                                                                                                               yes my sins are gone,                                                                                                                                 now my soul is free                                                                                                                                   and in my heart a song,                                                                                                                             buried in the deepest sea                                                                                                                           yes that's good enough                                                                                                                               for me,I shall live eternally                                                                                                                       praise God my sins are gone.

Sin. ( James 2 v 10 )

Yesterday we considered the sacrifice of Christ,and how  that one sacrifice effectively deals with sin, it is a strange thing that there are those who deny this. They believe that somehow Christ is sacrificed over and over again ,the book of Hebrews teaches clearly that this is not so, 'Nor did He enter heaven to offer Himself again and again, the way the  high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year........Then Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world ......so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the  sins of many people ( Hebrews 9 v 25 - 28 ).This one times sacrifice effectively deals with all sins, again let me say there are not two classes  of sin, called Mortal and Venial ,many people look at sin this way,mortal is more serious than  venial, people do not see any problem with so called white lies ,but see murder as very wrong which it is.The Westminster Shorter Catechism declares,''Sin is any lack of conformity unto,or transgression of the law of God''. Eating a forbidden fruit may appear to be a very trifling offence; yet the consequence were fatal, not only for Adam and Eve but for the entire human race''  (L. Boettner )                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

No more sacrifice ( John 20 v 30 )

In Numbers 5 v 5 - 8, we have intentional sins mentioned, and in 15 v 22 ff we have those who sin unintentionally ,sin whither it is intentional or unintentional is sin.The law does not make exceptions,yes there are no exceptions to the rule,each country has laws ,take the law of speeding,even if I break the speed limit unintentionally,I have broke the law,the same applies to Gods law.Many people are doing things that society says is ok, but God says it is a sin,we have broke His Law, and will be held accountable, one day  judgement will be passed by Him who is the righteous Judge even Jesus ( John 5 v 22 ).In Numbers sacrifice of an animal had to be made,for both types of sin in order that the sin could be forgiven, the animal sacrifice pointed to a human sacrifice, to Jesus,who would pay the price for our sins.The animal sacrifice was temporary, it could not effectively deal with sin ,the fact that it was repeated again and again shows this.We read what God provided,He declared ,''Sacrifice and offerings you did not desire,but a body you prepared for me,with burnt offerings and sin offerings, you were not pleased.Then I said, Here I am - it is written about me ,in the scroll- I have come to do Thy will''.  ( Psalm 40 v  6 -8 / Hebrews 10 v 5 - 7 ) This is speaking of Jesus the one who would effectively deal with the sin of those who trust Him as their Saviour.

Peace be still. ( Mark 4 v 35 - 41 )

Let us return to v 10 of Psalm 46, 'Be still , and know that I am God',let us apply it in a broader way,these words from God are telling us to stop panicking, to be still,but not just be still to focus on God.We must be still as regards our actions and our words,that two is very hard .Many of us are like Martha full of action (Luke 10 v 40 - 41 )we are told she was distracted,she lost the plot,her mind focused on the negative,.The word of God of God tells us ,'you (God ) will keep in perfect peace whose mind is steadfast , because He trust in you.  ( Isaiah 26 v 3 )Steadfast means someone who is firm and determined, if we fix our mind on God,trust in God who is sovereign . All around us people may be panicking ,but we can know that perfect peace.We will be amazed how God will work for us,as we stand still, and trust in Him who is our refuge, strength, and helper.                                                                                        The wind and the waves shall obey my will,                                                                                             Peace be still.                                                                                                                                             Whether the wrath of the storm tossed sea,                                                                                               Or demons, or men ,or whatever it be,                                                                                                       No water can swallow the ship where lies,                                                                                               The Master of ocean , and earth, and skies,                                                                                               They all shall sweetly obey my will;                                                                                                         Peace be still,Peace be still.                                                                                                                            ( Words Mary A Baker )

Therefore ( Psalm 46 )

Having declared that God is our refuge,strength,and helper,he further writes, ' Therefore'.the therefore is important, he is saying ,in light of God being our refuge,strength,and helper,we need not fear , no matter what trials we are facing,even if the the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,though the waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. The power of nature can be very destructive, be it tsunamis, earthquakes,hurricanes,well writes the Psalmist, let nature do its worse,because is our refuge ,strength,and helper, let us not be afraid.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             Under His wings I am safely abiding;                                                                                                       Though the night deepens and tempests are wild,                                                                                     Still I can trust Him- I know He will keep me;                                                                                         He has redeemed me ,and I am His child.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Under His wings, what a refuge in sorrow,                                                                                               How the heart yearningly returns to its rest,                                                                                             Often when earth has no balm for my healing,                                                                                         There I find comfort,and there I am blest.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Under His wings, oh, what precious enjoyment,                                                                                       There I will hide till life's trials are o'er,                                                                                                       Sheltered, protected, no evil can harm me;                                                                                               Resting in Jesus I'm safe evermore.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               Under His wings, under His wings,                                                                                                           Who from His love can sever?.                                                                                                                 Under His wings shall abide,                                                                                                                     Safely abide for ever.                                                                                                                                       ( Words by Stephen  Manders)

God will help us. ( 2 Timothy 4 v 17 b - 18 )

'God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble',we have looked at God as our refuge, and our strength ,yes He is all that and more. Now consider ,that He is a very present help when we are in trouble,God is with us, always,that cannot be said of anyone else,as to human help ,there may be at times no one available.The apostle Paul in his trials writes,'no one came near me,but everyone deserted me',so there he was in difficulties,everyone had deserted him,it can happen to anyone of us.Thankfully Paul does not stop at that point,no he goes unto write,'But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength'.( 2 Timothy v 16 - 17 )as with Paul, God will stand by us in our times of trouble.Not only will He stand by us He will help us,what ever help we need,be it financial ,as W Plumer writes, 'He will send timely supplies'.but whatever help we need, God is able and willing to provide.                                                                                                                                                                                                 No help that God cannot provide,